[Reblog] Hustle: Translating Resources into Capital

Hustle: Look it up in the dictionary, and hustle can mean hurried, persuasive, or swindle. It’s FinLit Friday, and that means I’m going to tell you how each of these as definitions of “hustle” impact your health and well-being.

Traditional Meaning: The word we know as “Hustle” originated in the Middle Dutch. It originally was used in the sense to shake or toss in the late 17th We know it today to mean

Hurried (as in): She hustled to make the deadline.

Persuasive (as in): She took her dad to the car lot so she wouldn’t be hustled.

Swindle (as in): It seems that all used car lots are just a hustle.

Connotation: You may know the word as a combination of all three of these meanings. If you have had to hustle, you may not see the word in as negative light as someone who has been hustled.

My view is that the word fully encapsulates what Karl Marx referred to as the means of production. It all depends upon what you see as the commodities to be traded and the lifestyle to be gained, but the means of production is the ability to do something with what you have. Hustle is the ability to translate the resources you have (finances, information, relationships, and time) into money.

Application to Life:

You will need to hurry because time waits for no one.

You will need persuasion to articulate a vision to others, but also to motivate yourself.

You will need that sense of self and awareness of your environment. Without it, you will be swindled.

When we discuss “hustle,” you need to think about the resources you have available to accomplish the goals that you have. Hustling is distinguishing, developing, and disseminating resources to translate them into capital. Funded with the capital, you can make the impact you desire on the world around you.

So, What are you hustling for? What’s the purpose? Purpose! That’s our definition for next time. Until then, continue to seek health and well-being. Be grateful. Attract blessings, and mind your business.